Try Harder

Fall is coming to our valley. The trees and mountains are turning golden. It is crisp in the morning and sometimes foggy. This is a long season for us. It has been surprisingly free from rain, so the leaves are showing their colours.
Listening to Merlin Mann (of 43 folders) on CBC Spark- try the podcast- was interesting. The show is about technology and culture. Now I'm not that deep into technology, but I love sociology, archeology- culture. He said to really narrow the focus of your blog. I know, this is a knitting blog, but knitting affects many areas of my life. And this is a blog about the knitting in my life. Still, I'll try to keep the knitting focus.
Then he said to just keep trying harder. He's right. This is writing. But some of my favourite blogs are just conversational. I pick up so much from the stories and projects posted.
The blue pi blanket is growing. I had to duck out of my daughter's music practice to buy some circulars and keep the stitches from leaping off the dpns. I've already knit those 24 rows and am on the next increase. It seems to go so quickly. So satisfying. I know it will slow down as the diameter grows, but I'm prepared to distract myself with some simple lace. Unfortunately the Grandma for whom I am knitting spent the weekend in the hospital. It's just for observation from medication change, but it was the big new hospital across the road- not the one in her complex. I think of her warm brown bread and local honey and say a little prayer.
I bought honey at the local place on Saturday and ended up engulfed in a bus load of Japanese tourists. Who knew? I always try to have some of this delicious honey on hand for gifts. It even had "Chilliwack" on the label. Sorry it's not good for mailing.

Black Diamond also grew. This is a lot of acrylic. The silk is calling to me. But they are gifts I want off the needles. We watched a video lastnight and I finished the first repeat and then some. I'm finding it a challenge to count each knit row. Hence the simpler stockinette in the round of the pi.

Emily's inaugeral practice of the Chilliwack Metropolitan Youth Orchestra was stunning. She and her friend played french horn. I knew so many of the people there. Parents I went to school with, other skating moms, a nurse who taught me in Calgary Childrens' Hospital, the son of my math teacher. And they played the music through the first go. Impressive. I'm looking for a suitable practice space this week. Today she walked with me and the dog. It was a nice time to chat with a lower level of drama.

I take my last lab class this week. Shocking. Like getting your drivers' license, you're never entirely ready. I want to get on the floor for my preceptorship on "telemetry", but I am wanting to stay in this supported student/ lab environment, too. I'll have at least 2 weeks of practice before I can test. I'm making cards to identify the most important information, but there's just too much. I hope this system works. I don't think it helps to try harder unless you try smarter.